Chapter 5: Sheila Leigh Pierce
1980
Annette was reading an old issue of Redbook in the living room. She checked her watch as she closed the magazine.
"1:50?" she said aloud. "I have to sleep! I'm supposed to get up in six hours."
The redhead laid down on the couch, being careful not to disturb Rena, who was sleeping on the floor.
It took Annette five minutes to realize that she was wide awake and would probably stay that way for the next few hours. So she sat up and picked up a scrapbook covered in white wallpaper with sixties-style daisies on it. A few pictures flew out and the writing on the back of one caught Annette's eye.
My three favorite girls--Margaret, Eva, & Sheila Pierce at Erin Hunnicutt's wedding, 1970
"Sheila?" asked Annette. "Who's Sheila?"
Looking closer at the picture, she saw Eva, in a purple fluffy dress, and Margaret, wearing a red and white plaid pantsuit. But there was a girl, wearing a dress identical to Eva's. She looked a bit younger, maybe six or seven.
The inner snoop in Annette was awakened. She'd lived in London since boarding school at age ten, meaning she'd missed a lot of what had happened with the 4077th. Silenty getting off the couch, she took the scrapbook into the dining room, which was unusually empty.
On the first page, there was a picture of Hawkeye and Margaret on their wedding day. Flipping past it, Annette took a quick tour of the first few years of their marriage. She stopped when she got to 1963. There was a photo of a baby, with Sheila Leigh Pierce, 5 lbs. 10 oz. written in what looked like Margaret's cursive.
Curious to know more, Annette turned the page. There were some more baby pictures, plus some of Eva, who looked to be about two.
"How many times have I told you not to look at other people's things?"
Annette jumped. She looked up to see Charles leaning against the door frame.
"Daddy, you have to see this." Annette stood up and handed the picture to her father.
"Ah yes. The Pierce's perfect suburban dream. Hideous suit Margaret's wearing."
Annette rolled her eyes. "I didn't ask for your appraisal. Who's Sheila?"
Charles gulped. "Well, she's...she's a cousin, I believe."
"Oh," said Annette. "Was she close to them?"
"Quite."
"Then why isn't she here?"
"Annette, it's late."
As Annette left the dining room to find that Robby had taken over her spot on the couch, she began to think that there might be more to the Pierce family that what met the eye.
A/N: Short chapter. I wanted to fit it in somewhere before I go back to 1960. I plan to start work on the next one as soon as my computer decides to save and post this!